Get in Gear
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s your late policy?
Private Reservation: We will wait for you, however your ride will still end at the scheduled time.
Public Reservation: If you don’t arrive at your scheduled start time, there’s a chance you won’t be able to ride. We know it sounds strict, but when more than one group has reserved the bike, we have to depart on time out of respect for the other groups. Our schedule is a well-oiled machine and when one group is late it throws off the entire tour, and if the situation was reversed you wouldn’t want to lose party time because of others. Please plan ahead, be respectful and on time!
What’s your cancellation policy?
- 14 days prior to reservation = full refund
- less than 14 days prior = cancellation fee /$10 or option to reschedule
- No shows or day of cancellation = no refund/or rescheduling option
What’s your weather policy?
Rain or shine, we ride. The party never stops at Olde Skool Tours, and unless weather conditions are deemed unsafe we will be throwing down in the streets. In the event that we cancel your ride you will receive a 100% refund, however, if your group decides on their own not to ride, no refund will be issued.
Please dress appropriately for predicted weather conditions. Weather cancellations are not typically made until moments before the ride’s scheduled time. Do not assume your reservation is canceled unless you are contacted by an Olde Skools Tour team member.
If it does happen to rain the day of your ride know we sell PONCHOS here at Olde Skool Tours for you to stay dry!
WHAT IS OLDE SKOOL TOURS? WHY OLDE SKOOL TOURS?
Olde Skool Tours is half bike, half vehicle - All Fun Machine!
- Driver /DJ
- Personal Tour Guide
- FREE Digital Photo Album (See our Facebook)
- Electric Assist Motor
- Party Lights
- Centrally Located Downtown Headquarters
- Top Notch Customer Service
Ultimately we are: DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S #1 PARTY BIKE!
How does this work?
Book your ride online or stop by the visitor center.
how many people can ride? what if i have more or less?
minimum = 6 people / maximum = 15 people
there are 6 bikes seats on each side (two wheel well seats don’t pedal) and three people fit along the back bench. Seating type on a public ride is not guaranteed. Our staff will sit you accordingly. If you have less than six people, you can still book a public tour and we’ll put people together to fill your bike and make you new friends!
if you’ve booked less than six note that you will get a request for reservation email and a confirmation email if/when your ride does book enough people to go out.
have more than 15 people?
the good news is we have ordered another bike just in case this happens; unfortunately, we are unable to take more than 15 at this time. Check back with us later this year for the arrival of our second bike.
do i have to purchase/book in advance?
yes, advance purchase is required. Tickets can be purchased online only and a minimum of 24 hours in advance. We advise booking as far in advance as possible for your group as we expect to sell out months in advance. There is not a waitlist or cancellation list. Once a time is booked, it is booked.
where will we go? what will we see?
routes are not guaranteed.
if you choose a pub crawl or breakfast club tour, you will be taken to all of our sponsor locations.
if you choose the historic tour, we will take you to the best spots for that day and group.
your driver will do their best to avoid hills (you’re welcome) and street closures. This does mean that during events we can take you to some of the other fun areas that neighbor downtown!
regardless where your trip goes, you will have a blast!
no route or roads are guaranteed during your ride. We make it work based off what is going on in the city that day.
do we really have to pedal?
well heck yea!
70% of the power we need to run is provided by you! the remaining 30% of the power is supplied by our bikes unique electric assist motor.
olde skool tours is not only the best party bike and tavern tour in downtown fredericksburg, but the easiest to pedal! that 30% boost is a game changer, allowing us to pedal for longer than any other pedal bike downtown!
how long is the ride?
your entire ride is approximately 1:30 for historical tours and coffee tours, and 2 hours for brew tours.
what does this mean?
you can expect your ride and pedal experience to be a full hour (believe us, pedaling for an hour is a lot and this is the most pedal time of all pedal bikes downtown!) and the remaining time is broken up between loading, unloading and brief stops for explanations for the various historical monuments and landmarks.
what should i bring?
is it hot out? this is fxbg! so keep in mind you’ll last a lot longer if you bring water.
cash & i.d. - you must be 21 to ride!(brew tours only) and virginia state law says you must show us your id! yes, even grandma must have hers! if you bring anything else we can store it for you, but this is a bike, not your closet so ladies try to bring a smaller purse. Gentlemen, same goes for you.
your waiver - all our waivers are done online, you do not have to print it, it’s 2018 folks! but guess how long it takes 15 people to dig out their i.d.’s, get their i.d.’s checked, read a liability waiver, and sign a liability waiver? too long! so sign them in advance on your computer or smartphone.
so i should sign the waiver form before i get there?
yes! it is mandatory that everyone fills out a waiver. and doing it beforehand is your best option!
everyone attending will need to fill out their own online waiver, so shoot out the link to your friends. waivers are done online only, there will be no hard copies available at check in. (there is no need to print the waivers! save a tree!)
what if i have already filled out a waiver on a previous ride?
we understand you’ve already done this, but we are required to have a fresh waiver for each ride. Just to make sure you still won’t be upset with us if anything goes wrong. Which it won’t. But we gotta be safe, ya know?
how early should we arrive? and where should we arrive?
please arrive 45 minutes before we are scheduled to leave for brew tours and 15 minutes before historical and coffee tours
this gives you 30 minutes to get your party on before the bike departs to its next stop (brew tours), and 15 minutes for the safety brief and to answer any outstanding questions you have ( all tours).
we will pick up at the visitors center 706 caroline street (for coffee tours and historical tours)
we will pick up at grapevine café 622 kenmore avenue (for brew tours)
Is there parking?
For historical tours and coffee tours we do not have onsite parking. For brew tours you can park at grapevine cafe. The visitor center parking lot is only 30 minute parking. The best place to park for the tours is the parking garage. This parking is free for the first three hours and then $1.00/hour after that or the parking lot on sophia street. Please see link for map.
What should i wear?
Keep in mind you’re riding a bike.
So for the ladies we advise against dresses, skirts, high heels, and even flip flops. (think about it! it’s not that safe!) but as long as you are indeed wearing clothes and you can in fact pedal, you’ll be just fine. (remember if you chose to wear flip flops, and you lose one along the way, we will not be stopping to retrieve them)
Should i tip the driver and bartender?
Please! our staff works for gratuity.
So while it is not mandatory our staff works extra hard to make sure you have a great time as your generosity is their livelihood.
Your driver/tour guide split all tips 50/50, so at the end of the ride if you feel like they did an outstanding job for you during your tours in fredericksburg and you’ve had a blast, show them that cash!
If my group is buying tickets individually, will we still be on the same bike?
Each time slot you see available is for one bike and one bike only.
So, if your friends are booking the 2:15 time slot on friday and you also book the 2:15 time slot on friday, you will definitely be on the same bike!
What if i leave something on the bike?
We are not responsible for any left/lost items on the bike.
So try to limit what you bring.
If you do bring items, have your tour guide stow them for you, that way he/she will know what to look for when you leave. We will inspect each bike before and after each tour, so if something is left, our staff will be advised to bring it to our office, so please feel free to call to check if anything was turned in.
Ask your captains for more information.
You mentioned an online photo album, how do i get that?
Your tour guide works hard to get photos of the fun.
And takes them on an phone camera for you during your ride.
Photos cannot be guaranteed, crazy things happen, so please feel free to take your own pictures as well.
Photos can be found within 24 hours after your ride on facebook at olde skool tours photos 2018 page and they will be up there for two weeks only for storage purposes. They are totally free to you, but save those bad boys as soon as you remember so you don’t risk losing them!
What if i don’t want to pedal or physically can’t pedal?
Pedaling is not only what you’re signing up for – it’s part of the fun!
If you don’t want to pedal, here’s a quick reminder: it’s a party bike! pedaling is interactive and way more fun than it sounds right now. Trust us!
That being said there are non pedal seats that can be occupied if the bike has enough people. Since pedal=power, a bike with less people on it will require all patrons to pedal. If the bike is full, that is when non pedal seats will begin to fill. Sooooo, don’t be a stick in the mud. Pedal!
If you feel like you can’t pedal due to a medical condition, please arrive early and alert the staff.
Please note: we do not reserve specific seats and no particular seat placement is guaranteed. People with physical disabilities can request the back bench, but each bench only holds three people, and if you’re taking a public ride keep in mind the other groups could have individuals with similar problems. Again, seating is not guaranteed.
What if i’m pregnant?
We’re not doctors.
So we’ll leave that up to your discretion. If you do choose to ride, we strongly suggest sitting on a non-pedal seat. Again, make sure you arrive early and alert the staff. There is no guarantee of any particular seat.
Can i decorate?
Of course! decorations are welcome.
All decorations must be socially appropriate. After all, there will be kids on the street and your party will attract attention!
Keep in mind any decorating is going to chip away at the time you are on the bike, so we suggest decorations be easy and fast to mount/take down. Also keep in mind that on a public bike, you will be sharing space with other groups, so if you want to decorate the whole bike perhaps book a private ride.
I still have more questions, how can i get them answered?
Yes.
Part of loading up your bike includes a driver speech. Your driver will not only give you a condensed version of what you just learned, but explain to you bike rules, etc. If the answer to your questions was not found above and you just can’t wait, feel free to call or e-mail us. Can’t wait to see you!
